Survival of the Littest

Travello, The App Travelers Have Been Waiting For

In recent years, the entire industry of travel has been completely revolutionized. Airbnb or Couchsurfing gives you endless options for incredible alternatives to a hotel. With Uber or Lyft, you don’t have to worry about renting a car or paying obscene rates for a taxi. With Tinder, you can… I won’t go down that path. What I’m saying is that traveling has become so hassle-free and personalized that fulfilling one’s wanderlust has never been easier.

However, as a frequent traveler myself, one thing that I have noticed was missing was a way to interact with locals directly. Befriending locals and living how they live is what separates the “tourists” from the “travelers.” Of course I’ll stop by the main attractions of the town, but by the time 10 PM rolls around and I desperately need a beer, I’d rather not be around hordes and hordes of tourists.

I liked Airbnb because as soon as I roll into town and unpack my bags, I have an expert giving me the down low on where to wander. However, some people might not want to stay at an Airbnb, and who knows, maybe your host isn’t the most well-versed in their own city. A second opinion is always necessary, and unfortunately, I’ll scroll through TripAdvisor for an hour only to see tourists confirming other tourists’ opinions on what a good place to go is.

I’ve been looking for a great social media app for travelers for a long time, and with each one that came around, I get excited, only to see that it doesn’t really live up to my expectations. I stumbled upon Travello, a social networking app for travelers, when they liked one of my Instagram pictures, and I hesitantly downloaded the app and signed up.

With Travello, travelers and even locals can communicate with each other quickly and easily. In Chicago for a business trip and need a coffee shop away from the hustle and bustle of the Loop? Ask on Travello. Need a quick rundown on how the complex tram system in an all-too-efficient Scandinavian city works? Ask on Travello. Odds are, at least one of the many users are an expert in that city.

As a traveler, I’ve found that fellow travelers are among the friendliest, and most open people you will find. Usually, people who pursue opportunities to widen their worldview and experience new things are very happy to help others who share the same mindset. The people you speak to on Travello might be strangers that you will never meet in your life, but they won’t feel like strangers. Travello appeals to a new generation of travelers, those who choose hostels over swanky hotels, cramped backpacks over giant suitcases, and trusting other travelers’ advice over paid ads on Google searches.

There’s something fulfilling about communicating with other people from different cultures and cities, and that in itself is a reason to get Travello. As I pack my bags to go to Colombia, the first country I am going to without friends alongside, I am beyond excited that I stumbled upon this app. I posted on Travello’s public noticeboard asking about Colombia, and got a number of responses within just a few hours. Although I’ll be by myself, I already feel less alone than if I hadn’t found Travello. I highly recommend all my fellow travelers download this app, because the more users there are sharing their knowledge and friendliness, the more this idea can change the world.

So yeah, I guess this is the part where you download the app. Don’t forget to add me when you do! Here’s the link to the Apple App Store, and the Android App Store! Run along now, make some friends.